Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/32914
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Without reading the scene in question, there are a couple of things I feel need to be taken into consideration when writing a fight scene, and something that a lot of authors (particularly new or younger ones) could improve on.

Firstly, don't make it a blow by blow account. It slows the pace done horrendously. Fight's are short, nasty affairs and if you're spending three pages reading about something that should be over in a matter of moments, it's really quite jarring. We don't need to know every cut, thrust and parry that occurred. Include some by all means, but every blow is just too much.

Don't describe the movements in detail, keep them broad and letter the reader imagine the fight unfolding. Give enough detail for the reader to fill in the blanks,

Do your research before you're writing. Learn the right names for weapons, armour, what they were made of and how they were used - certain swords were designed for slashing, others cutting and others stabbing - they are all very different and don't do something they aren't designed for very well. A Zweihander is not going to be used in the middle of a tight formation, nor will the user be able to react quickly once the swing has started. Likewise, unless it's magical, a rapier will never pierce plate armour etc.

Don't try to be overly technical, though. You will get it wrong and the loudest critics are the ones who think they know the most about something, they will argue incessantly about the wrong use of some minor detail or some obscure term, and reject everything else you've written, and will lecture others about it constantly. They are Those Guys, and frankly they don't need any more ammunition.

Also, research stab wounds and how quickly people will actually bleed out, and the general damage that something might do.

Finally, read a range of different fight scenes by different authors. One of my all time favourite authors for writing fight scenes is David Gemmel, particularly at the start of White Wolf.

> \*What followed Capahas would never forget, not in the tiniest detail.
> 
> Skilgannon moved in on Damalon. As the dying courtier dropped the swords Skilgannon swept them up. The four black-garbed killers ran in. Skilgannon leapt to meet them, the sword blades shimmering in the firelight. There was no fight, no clash of steel upon steel. Within a matter of heartbeats five men were dead upon the ground."\*

For more examples, read the likes of David Gemmell, Steven Erikson, Aaron Dembsky-Bowden (I'm sure I've spelled that wrong), Dan Abnett, Bryan McClelland.

Robert Jordan was also very adept at it. His fight scenes were often much more detailed than the likes of Gemmell, but often the fighting (by the swordsmen at least) was done using a martial style. He used the names of the moves to describe the fight (e.g. Autumn Leaves Falling merged into Herron Wading In The Rushes).

Either way, less is often more and keep the pace up. Fights are often short, vicious affairs and should be written as such.

Original score: 6